Justice and Mercy
by kween-idle
Summary: The man was laconic. However, she was drawn to him. He was mysterious-tall, dark, and handsome. He was the entire package and she was willing to rip it open and see what was really inside. He was distant, yet, everyone loved him. Just what is he hiding behind that stoic mask? This is something she was curious to find out, even if she was damaged at the end. LuccixOC
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**The beginning…**

* * *

**Kenutte, Hamiard Forest**

The young girl stood in the middle of the forest floor, eyes closed in concentration as she listened to the various voices that surrounded her. Her senses were heightened as she attended to the cry of bestial animals that inhabited the forest. The whisper of a rattlesnake shuddered nearby, sending a chill down the girls spine and the call of birds was deafening, causing her to flinch. Her hands were gritted by her sides, small knives clenched between them.

A thin sheen of sweat started to bead down her forehead and she reached up, quickly wiping it away. The extreme temperatures were starting to get to her and her head felt funny, almost light. She opened her eyes, glancing over the trees that vegetated the green forest. She could see nothing, but there was always something there lurking around and waiting to attack when she least expected it. She took a calming breath in, willing the small tears that welled in her eyes to stay in.

She was frightened, being alone in the forest with no one but the savage animals for company. The girl's knees were cut up and bloody, after falling over a large vine that protruded from the ground. Her clothes clung to her body, like a boa constrictor does its prey and she felt sticky. Her hair was a complete mess—matted, tangled, and caked with sweat and a little bit of blood. The organ within her body pumped quickly, setting a deafening rhythm that could be heard rushing to her eyes.

She licked her dry lips, cursing her mother under her breath. At this very moment in her life, she despised the woman that gave her life. Her mother had left her alone in the forest, proclaiming that this was a _test of survival. _ The girl had not even turned a solid twelve yet and her mother insisted on testing the skills she was taught over the years. Her mother always said that _a warrior could be strong but they were nothing without wit._ If she could not pass this test, she was definitely not ready for the duty of becoming a palace guardian like her mother.

The girl gritted her teeth, trying to at least identify some kind of exit from this confusing terrain. Taking a single step forward, she shrieked loudly when she stepped on a tree branch that was below her foot. Glaring at the offending object, she took another step forward, trying to gain back her courage. The sun was beginning to set in the sky and this spelled out trouble for the girl. She had to find some way out soon before the light of day diminished away.

Using her knives, she cut through the vines that hindered her from going any further, being cautious not to cut something she shouldn't. Bright flowers danced all around her, their beauty beckoning her close, however, she knew better. The brightest flowers, most of the time, were the most dangerous. Without feeling a hit of regret, she cut the flowers down out of her way—though, that probably wasn't the wisest thing to do either because some flowers may have poisonous gases.

However, this didn't stop the girl from continuing on her journey. She was dog tired, having been trapped in this hellhole for more than five hours. Her feet dragged behind her and her head drooped to the side as she tried to keep it up. Her eyes felt heavy and a small yawn fled pass her lips. Despair started to set into the young girl's being, thinking that she would never get out of the amorphous forest.

Stopping in her tracks, she leaned against a tree, taking a deep breath in. Leaning her head back against the tree, she closed her eyes once more, taking a small rest before she tried to continue on. She stood there for a moment, hearing the chirping of crickets and the melodious song of cicadas. Night was just around the corner and in frustration, a single tear leaked down her cheek. Her back slid down the tree, and she fell lower and lower towards the ground until her small behind was placed on the dirt. The extreme temperatures had enervated her until she felt like putty in Mother Nature's hands.

The girl bought her knees up to her chest, hugging them close as darkness settled around her. The moon illuminated high in the sky, but only gave a limited amount of light. The darkness elevated the sounds of the night, sending chills down the girl's spine. Howls and growls bellowed out and a harsh sob racked throughout her body. She was frightened. She could no longer see anything but she could hear the violent song of nature.

She wanted to be home in her soft bed and listen to more of her mother's stories. The ground was hard and she felt as if things were crawling over her. Her skin was prickling and every part of her itched. The howls got louder and she shrank back into the tree, as if it offered some kind of protection. Her eyes were closed tightly, tears spilling out and rolling down her cheeks. She chanted quickly to herself, begging for someone, anyone to come and get her.

The bushes around her rustled, and a small squeak left her lips. Her body rocked forward and back, attempting to ease some of the pressure out of her being. The grip on her bottom lip between her teeth broke skin and she could feel a small trail of blood leaking down her chin. The rustling became louder and the blood rushed to her ears—blocking out all of the sound around her. Her heartbeat sped up, thumping loudly in her chest as she waited for some hungry animal to jump out and attack her.

She counted down silently to herself, taking a deep breath in and out as she did.

Five…

She knew it would be the perfect time to pray to the gods.

Four…

She missed her warm bed and the teddy bear that waited for her at home.

Three…

She wished she could be as strong as her mother or any warrior of Kenutte.

Two…

If she got through this, she would become stronger to accomplish her dream.

One…

She wished to see her mother again and hear her gentle, yet stern voice.

Zero…

As she counted down to the last number, nothing happened. No furious mauling or pain. However, there was a soft hand caressing her face and coaxing her into strong, lithe arms that acted like an aegis. A sweet voice cooed out to her, cradling the young girl closely. The tears that were once a maelstrom painting her face seemed to instantly stop and she gripped fabric in her small hands.

"It is alright now, little one. There is no need for you to cry any longer," the familiar voice stated, kissing atop the girls head. She relaxed in the females hold, gripping the woman she prayed for tightly. "You did well, Nabirye. You were so close to making it out and I couldn't ask for anything more," she continued and Nabirye's tired eyes finally closed, but not before she heard the last statement her mother made.

"Sweet child, you tired your best. Now rest, my little warrior."


	2. Note

Hello wonderful people!

Oh geez, I have some bad news followed by some great news (at least great for me), so let's see how this goes, shall we? Alright, so my computer crashed and started acting very shady (it kept shutting down on me) which meant I needed to get another computer. Thank God for Dell and their willingness to help and warranties, warranties are the best. I got another computer and unfortunately for me I didn't save a few of my new documents on my flash drive like I normally would. This means all content from _Justice and Mercy _has sadly been lost (outlines, characters, and chapters that were in the process of being done).

I honestly don't remember a lot of where I was going with this story and this saddened and angered me for quite a while. All I remember is that I finally had a great plot and the story was going to flourish. However, after thinking it over and trying to remember as much as I could I've created something entirely different than what I was planning before. I'm actually quite excited about it. I've gotten most of the outline written up and characters have been added (though you guys haven't met any of the characters but Nabir yet to worry about new characters). Through all of the changes I've made, I had to rewrite the first chapter to get things to flow correctly. So, I will either take the first chapter down and replace it with the revised chapter or I'll post the story over again (a fresh start).

Thank you guys for being so patient and for all of the follows/favorites I received. I also really enjoyed reading the reviews. :)

kween_idle


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